


One more before I go

by gayassBenny



Category: My Babysitter's A Vampire
Genre: Drug Use, Enby Rory, Minor Character Death, Post-Canon, Rory uses all pronouns, because I said so, benny is bpd coded now, just weed tho, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:14:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25866529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayassBenny/pseuds/gayassBenny
Summary: After almost ten years of separation there's finally something powerful enough to bring the gang back together.
Relationships: Ethan Morgan/Benny Weir, Rory Keaner/Jesse Black, Sarah Fox/Erica Jones
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

Gravel crunched loudly beneath her boots. The night was coming to an end, the navy sky had developed an eerie glow beneath it as the sun threatened to rise. The entrance of the town was nestled deep in the woods. Almost as if it was hiding something. There was nothing but trees surrounding it for miles. It was by no means a small town, it was just… concealed. 

It was perfect. A nice patch of civilization with nowhere to run.

She heard a noise from behind her. Her head whipped towards it. Coming into town after her was a child around the age of 12 walking his bike. “What are you doing awake?” She snapped. 

He froze, his eyes widening. “I was just-” 

“You were just what? Going for a midnight bike ride?” She said cutting him off. 

He swallowed. “Yes.” He said timidly. 

She took a breath. No one could know she was there, not yet. Yelling at the child would only make things worse. She put on a sympathetic look and lowered herself down to his eye level. “Are you sure that’s a good idea sweetie?” She said, her eyes flashing purple. 

His eyes widened and he shook his head. “No mam.”

She smiled sweetly. “No it’s not.” She put on a fake syrupy sweet voice. This was always her least favorite part. “I’ve heard horror stories about places like this. Towns buried in the woods getting terrorized until whoever is doing it gets bored and moves to a place with fresh meat. Did you know that, sweetie?”

He shook his head again, his eyes glossed over and the grip on his bike loosening. “No, I didn’t know that.” 

“Of course you didn’t. Everyones trying to sweep them under the rug. They haven’t even realized they’re connected yet. But they are. Do you want to know how I know that?” 

His mouth dropped open. He nodded, unable to form a verbal reply.

She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled tenderly. He looked up at her with dead eyes. She opened her mouth slightly and began sucking in a breath. He made a noise of protest and began to struggle but her grip on him tightened. Her fist vicelike around his shoulder. The skin around his mouth started flaking away. He made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, almost like he was trying to call for help. 

She opened her mouth wider, almost unhinging her jaw. She started inhaling harder. More of his face crumbling  
away and flaking off as she sucked the life out of his body. His struggling abruptly stopped when a majority of his face had turned to ash, his hands falling from the handles of his bike. She opened her mouth even wider and continued to inhale until the rest of his body exploded into a cloud of dust. 

She giggled as the dust settled. He was human, so it wasn’t quite as satisfying, but she was giddy nonetheless. It filled her with a burst of energy she couldn’t get from anything else. She was high off the feeling of it. “Well,” she said with a smile. She ran her finger across the bike's handle and admired the powder it had picked up. “Now you do.” 

She rubbed her finger against her thumb and watched the dust fall to the ground. She looked up at the large billboard marking the entrance of the town. “Welcome to White Chapel!” It read. 

She smiled.

~

“Benny wake up!” Rory said as they pounded on Bennys door. They’d been living together for over six years and he has yet to see Benny wake up before 1 in the afternoon.

He was a pretty good roommate all things considered. The R.V., Rebecca, was fairly small. Like most it only had one bedroom, but Rory didn’t need to sleep more than a few hours every couple of days and Bennys sleep schedule was so out of whack it wouldn’t have even mattered anyway. They did a fairly good job of staying out of each other’s way despite how claustrophobic it could get. Surprisingly, Benny was fairly clean too. He never actually wanted to clean anything but he picked up after himself as he went along which Rory appreciated. 

It was hard to be mad at him. The only thing she couldn’t really stand was how heavy of a sleeper Benny was. Sometimes Rory needed him for a last-minute mission (or because he needed some attention) and it would take up to a half hour to wake him up. It was mostly a mild inconvenience and Rory knew he put Benny through a whole lot worse, but right now she had something of dire importance to tell him. 

She continued banging as hard as they could, which admittedly wasn’t very hard. Benny was, surprisingly, the muscle of the duo. “Benny seriously! Open the fucking door it’s important!” They pounded on the door until his fists hurt but Benny didn’t make a peep. The groaned. She had already waited far too long to tell Benny what he’d found. If they didn’t leave within the next few hours he didn’t know what could happen. It was already going to take her forever to convince Benny to come. They didn’t have any time to waste.

He sighed overdramatically. Benny had gone out the night before so maybe it was unfair for her to expect him to wake up after only ten minutes of banging but they needed to get going as fast as possible. She scanned the kitchen counter for their lock picking tool. They really didn’t want to invade Bennys privacy but she didn’t think he had much of a choice. They spotted it on the counter right next to them and they snatched it as quickly as they could. “Benny I’m coming in.” She yelled as she kneeled to shove the pin into the lock. Contrary to popular belief it wasn’t a very quick process. He’d been doing it for years and it still took him around 20 seconds each time.

The door swung open. They stood up and walked into Benny's room. “Benny you have to wake up. It’s so important.” 

Benny groaned from where he was laying. He was face down in his bed with his head under a pile of pillows. “Rory please my head is killing me I’m not in the mood to talk about one of your stupid games right now.” 

Rory turned the lights on, making Benny groan even louder. “I’m not talking about a game Benny. This is serious. I picked up something major last night and it keeps getting bigger.” 

Benny whined. “Just give me like 20 minutes. I don’t even have clothes on.” 

“Benny I’m not kidding. This is the biggest signal I’ve ever gotten. I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

Benny was silent for a while before he groaned again. “Okay fine but can you give me a minute? I’m actually not dressed.” 

Rory rolled their eyes. “Not like I haven’t seen it before.” He grumbled as he made his exit. 

She pulled their laptop out from under the coffee table and turned it on. It was big and clunky after they’d modified it to be able to track supernatural entities and various forms of magic. Who would’ve thought magic was just another form of electromagnetic radiation? 

They opened the program and let out a shaky breath. The mass had grown slightly since he’d last checked it but the location hadn’t changed. 

It was in White Chapel. Benny was going to have a fit. 

As if on cue Benny waltzed out of his room and flopped on the couch. “What could possibly be so important that you had to wake me up at such an ungodly hour?”

Rory rolled her eyes. “It’s 5 PM. Look at this.” He turned the screen to face Benny.

Benny squinted at the screen. “It’s just a big purple blob.” 

“It isn’t just a big purple blob. It’s black magic and there’s a massive concentration of it.” He took back control of the laptop and zoomed out. “Black magic is one of the most powerful, so it’s easier to track, but there’s no way I should be able to pick up this much from so far away.” 

“It doesn’t look like that much. I mean I see you use that thing all the time and that seems like the average amount. Maybe there’s a little bit more but it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.” 

Rory rolled his eyes. They rarely tried explaining the scientific part of things to Benny. It wasn’t that he wasn't smart enough to understand he was just so uninterested, everything went in one ear and out the other. “Benny we’re almost 1000 miles away. That’s the average size for a creature that's in the same city as us.”

Bennys eyes widened. “Okay, maybe it’s a lot.” 

“It’s absurd Benny, and it keeps getting bigger. This could very well be the strongest thing we’ve ever faced and it just keeps growing.” 

Benny shrugged. “So we drive over there and we kick its ass. I don’t see why it’s such a big deal.” 

“It’s a huge deal.” They had been fighting creatures together for years. They’d faced every creature imaginable, some barely took more than a kick to the face while others had taken all of their energy and weeks of tracking. Rory had never been afraid. At least not like this. Sure there were always nerves leading up to a fight but he rarely feared for his life, and she’d never been so uncertain of whether they could defeat something or not. “Benny I seriously don’t think we can handle this. Whatever the hell this thing is it's more powerful than everything we’ve faced combined. I don’t think we can do it alone.” 

Benny took a shaky breath. Concern took over his face as Rory's words set in. “Then what do we do? We’re always able to figure something out ourselves. Who’s gonna help us?” 

Rory sighed. They knew it would be easy to get Benny on board right away. He was always down to kill something. It was just that she was going to have to do it at least three times. “So this entity. It started out pretty small and it was a lot closer to us but it kind of… migrated. I first spotted something around two weeks ago but it was tiny and a lot closer to us. I really didn’t think anything of it but it just keeps getting bigger and further away.” 

Benny’s face twisted in confusion. “Okay, so where is it now?” 

Rory placed a hand on the back of her neck. Benny really wasn’t gonna like this. “So it’s kind of in… White Chapel.” 

“White Chapel?” Benny said. His eyes looked like they were gonna pop out of his head. “No way. I’m not going back there. I mean it. I'd rather swallow glass. We’re waiting until that thing gets a brain and leaves that hellscape too.” 

“We have to go back Benny! It’s already bigger than it was this morning. If we wait until it migrates again it’ll be impossible. I already don’t know if we can take it on. Even with the help.” Rory slipped in the last part as casually as they could. That was what would really tip Benny over the edge. 

Benny buried his head in his hands and made a noise that was a mix between a scream and a groan. He sat like that for a few seconds before he dropped his hands and sighed. “Okay.” 

Rory smiled. She really thought he would get away with it without any questions. “Great! I’ll let the others know we’re on our way.” 

Benny clenched and unclenched his jaw. “The others?” 

God damn it. They knew they’d have to tell Benny eventually but she was hoping he could save it until they were already halfway there. She’d mentioned it three times and Benny hadn’t even noticed why couldn’t he have just gone with it like he always did. “Oh yeah I forgot to mention but do you remember how we used to fight things in highschool? With the gang?” 

Bennys jaw dropped. “No way Rory. I’m not seeing them again. It’s hard enough just having to go back there. I don’t think I can handle seeing all of them again. They all hate me anyway, tell them to cancel or just go without me.” 

A part of him understood what Benny was saying. He’d been forced out of the group near the end of senior year with little explanation. Ethan had been distant too but it was like Benny had been cut off from everyone else completely. He wasn’t entirely sure why but she assumed there had been some sort of drama between him and the rest of the group. Rory tried to bring it up a few times but Benny always got snappy and changed the subject. 

But at the same time, it had been almost ten years. They were sure it was just petty high school drama. It couldn’t have been worth dwelling on for nearly a decade, and it certainly wasn’t worth letting some crazy powerful supernatural entity on the loose.

“I can’t go without you Benny. The others are powerful but they haven’t been doing this as long as we have. Ethan hasn’t even had a vision in years.” 

“Then why do we even need them?” Benny whined. “Why can’t we just fight it ourselves? How much could they possibly help us?” 

“A ton Benny. If we have to go up against this thing three vampires are stronger than one and Ethan can help us stay 12 steps ahead.” 

Benny started bouncing his knee. His eyes were filled with fear. More fear than Rory had ever seen while they were fighting any creature. Benny had fought demons and succubi and goblins but for some reason, it seemed like his high school best friends were the most difficult thing he ever had to face. “You just said Ethan doesn’t even have visions anymore. We might as well just have some human help us.” 

“He hasn’t tried. He could be really helpful, Benny. We have to at least try.” 

Benny stuck his thumb in his mouth and started chewing on his cuticle. Rory was surprised he even had anything left to chew. “I just can’t see him again Rory. You don’t understand.” 

Rory didn’t understand. Benny wouldn’t even let him try. But he was still sympathetic. Benny had never grown out of his anxiety and while most of it was general rather than social he had the occasional bout of panic over meeting new people. Seeing the same people again after so long must’ve been a pretty similar feeling, Rory guessed. Or maybe it was worse. They wouldn’t know. Benny just liked to pretend everything was fine until he worked himself into a panic attack. “Hey, everything’s gonna be okay Benny.” He placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve kept in contact with Sarah and Erica throughout the years and they ask about you all the time. They don’t hate you I swear.” 

He tossed his thumb out of his mouth and took a deep breath. “What about Ethan?” 

“Ethans… well he kinda fell off the face of the earth a few years ago but Erica stayed in town with him and she was able to convince him pretty easily. I think he would’ve put up more of a fight if he hated you.” 

Benny nodded but he still had that look in his eyes. It was like he was a little kid that got separated from his mother. “Where the fuck is Harvey?” He asked fervently. 

Rory huffed out a laugh. She grabbed their elephant shaped bong and handed it to Benny. He wouldn’t say they were stoners exactly but they did partake in more weed than the average person would admit to. And it wasn’t like they named every piece of drug memorabilia they owned. Harvey was special. He was like the third member of their group. 

Benny took him gratefully and swiped a lighter from the table in front of him. Rory waited patiently as he packed the bowl and started filling the chamber with smoke. Benny usually only filled it a little over halfway but he kept inhaling until the chamber was filled to the brim. The glass appeared to completely change color from all the smoke inside of it. 

“Benny holy shit.” 

Benny held up one finger to silence him before taking the massive hit. Rory had been smoking with him for ten years and he’d never seen him smoke so much at once. This must’ve been more serious than she thought. 

He released the hit after a few seconds and coughed slightly. He set Harvey and the lighter back on the coffee table before sinking into the couch. 

Rory waited a few seconds for Benny to say something but he just kept sitting there. They normally would’ve waited longer before piping up but he really wanted to get going. The thing was only going to keep getting bigger. Plus, they had dinner reservations in just over 24 hours. “Well?” 

Benny scrunched up his nose. “I don’t know.” He paused, still thinking it over. “I don’t feel any better about any of this.” 

Rory sighed. “Look Benny I think you’re just gonna have to accept that you probably aren’t gonna be okay with this.” Benny made a sour face. Rory didn’t know what else to do. He needed Benny. Not just for his magic but for moral support too. They’d been together every day for over a decade. She was extremely codependent, to say the least. “Look I don’t know what happened back then but it couldn’t have been that bad. I’m sure everyone else has forgotten about it by now.” 

That made Bennys face fall. “He probably has forgotten.” He mumbled to himself. He put his hands over his mouth and looked back at Rory. “I just don’t know if I can do it Ror. I fucked up so bad.”

Rory smiled sympathetically. Maybe they were being a little bit selfish, but they really had to go. “Look I don’t wanna invalidate your emotions or anything but you tend to think you fucked up a lot more than you actually do fuck up.” 

“You don’t understand Ror.” He moved his hands to the back of his head and buried his face in his elbows. “I actually fucked up this time. It was the worst mistake I’ve ever made.” 

“It was ten years ago. Whatever you did it couldn’t have been that bad.” Rory really wanted to be supportive but he knew the longer they waited the harder it would be to defeat the creature. He couldn’t just keep sitting around and waiting for it to get stronger. 

“It was that bad, okay?” Benny snapped, causing Rory to flinch. Benny's face softened. “Oh man I’m sorry Rory I didn’t- I’m not mad at you I just… I really don’t want to go back there.” 

Rory nodded. “It’s okay Benny I get it. But you need to come with me. Whatever happened couldn’t have been worse than this.” They said, gesturing at the screen.

Benny took in another unsteady breath. His legs were still shaking violently in front of him. He ran his hands through his hair a few times before bringing them together and tucking them in between his knees. He looked over at Rory with terror filling his eyes to the brim. “Okay.” He breathed.


	2. Chapter 2

Ethan attempted to make conversation with Sarah and Erica from the other side of the table. He really was interested in what they had to say but the words wouldn’t absorb into his brain. He’d been sitting there pretending to pay attention for at least ten minutes, but it felt like he’d been there for hours. He’d gotten pretty good at meetings like this. He tried to think of it like he was meeting a new client for work but it just didn’t work. Because he wasn’t just meeting a new client, he was meeting the most important people in his life all over again and he had no control over how it went. 

He and Erica kept in touch but they weren’t exactly friends. They just had such different lifestyles. She worked as a bartender at one of the supernatural friendly clubs in town along with trying to work her way into the vampire council. Any time she didn’t spend working she spent hauled up in her apartment enhancing her abilities and educating herself on vampire history. 

Ethan on the other hand had a steady nine to five job as a lawyer on the other side of town. He’d also given up everything magic-related, electing to live as normal a life as he could. His abilities had regressed slowly over the years until one day it was like they just vanished. He was just a regular guy with a regular job. He was content. He didn’t need to be some all-powerful being to be happy. 

Erica had said being around each other again could reawaken his powers. He didn’t know if it was true, or even if he wanted it to be. He doubted he would be helpful even if his powers did somehow come back, but if they really were in as much danger as she’d made it seem, he at least had to try. Even if he didn’t just get to be a regular guy anymore. 

Sarah and Erica stopped talking abruptly to stare at something behind him. He slowly turned around in his seat. He had a feeling as to what they were looking at before he saw them, but it still made his heart sink when he did. 

Rory was near the front of the restaurant talking to the hostess with Benny not far behind him. Ethan couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It didn’t seem real. He hadn’t spoken to Rory in years and he and Benny had cut ties well before high school ended. 

Benny looked up at him, their eyes locked. Ethan couldn’t breathe. It’d been so long since everything happened but he could still remember it so vividly. Benny on top of him, Benny with his arms around him, Benny coming over at the wrong time, Benny screaming at him. His stomach lurched. He’d been so sure Benny wasn’t angry anymore but now that he was actually there he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was. He had this look in his eyes he couldn’t quite place, but he knew he’d seen it before. Or maybe he hadn’t. Maybe just being in his presence was enough to give him deja vu.

They stared at each other for a moment, just taking each other in. Ethan never would’ve thought they’d end up like this. He always suspected they’d probably grow apart after college but never in a million years would he have guessed he’d go almost a decade without speaking to Benny. His heart ached slightly. He didn’t even think about him that often anymore. How had things gone so wrong? 

Benny nudged Rory with his shoulder on the other side of the restaurant. Ethan snapped out of his trance to watch his face light up. He smiled. Rory hadn’t changed at all. They practically ran across the building to envelop him in a hug. 

“What the hell Ethan you look so old.” She said into his back. 

He laughed as he threw his arms around him. “Sorry I’m not immortal.” He mumbled back. 

He broke away after a few seconds to hug Sarah and Erica. Ethan smiled sadly as he watched them say their hellos. It was so great having everyone back together. He just wished they could’ve been doing this the whole time. 

The chair next to him scraped against the floor. He jumped slightly before turning to see who it was. Benny sat down next to him casually. As if they weren’t finally reunited after ten horrible years of separation. Their eyes locked again. Benny smiled slightly before turning forward to face the others. 

Rory took his seat on the other side of Ethan. “I can’t believe it’s been so long,” Sarah said. “I mean I know we weren’t gonna be best friends forever but this is crazy. I missed you guys so much.” 

“I know it’s so weird.” Erica said. “I know some of us still talk sometimes but the fact that you guys are right in front of me… it doesn’t seem real.” 

Ethan nodded. It really was something. He couldn’t believe everyone was right there in front of him. They were all so different and yet none of them had changed at all. Sarah had not only made some major changes to her appearance- shorter hair, better clothes, new piercings -but she had a whole new way of presenting herself. She had always been confident but she had developed such a bold way of carrying herself. She just seemed so free and full of life, it was like she was glowing. 

Erica had, for the most part, returned to the way she was before she’d turned. She was sweeter and bubblier and kind of a nerd. She had always been one but now she felt more comfortable showing it. Ethan had watched her grow over the years into an overall happier person that could still beat the hell out of him at a moments notice. 

Rory had had the biggest change, and yet they were still exactly the same. She’d really gotten their act together. He’d dropped the whole loveable dumbass facade around the same time the group started disbanding. They were still both of those things but he was so much more than that now. Ethan hadn’t talked to him since he deactivated all of his socials but from what he’d seen Rory was actually kind of insightful. She gave some really good advice and apparently they were pretty tech-savvy. They’d also had a pretty big change in fashion but Ethan assumed that had to do with her finally figuring out their identity. Rory was never particularly masculine but he remembered him having a tendency to stray away from more feminine things in high school. 

And then there was Benny. Ethan didn’t have the slightest idea what happened to Benny. They hadn’t spoken at all since everything fell apart. He couldn’t tell much from looking at him either. Ethan was pretty good at reading people but whatever Benny was feeling he hid it pretty well. All Ethan knew was that Benny got hot. He’d always thought Benny was attractive. He’d had a massive crush on him since before he even knew he liked boys. But that was back when Benny was just some awkward skinny teenager. It wasn’t like he was looking at Benny like that or anything. He was just casually noting his appearance. He would be lying if he said he didn’t grow into his looks. 

“So how is everyone? What have you guys been up to?” Rory said, cutting through his thoughts. 

“God I’ve been amazing.” Sarah said. Her smile was bigger than Ethan had ever seen it. “I’ve spent the last few years traveling and it’s been the greatest decision I’ve ever made. I just got back from almost a year in Europe.” 

“That’s so great Sar,” Erica said. “I’ve always wanted to travel.” 

Sarah's face lit up. “You totally should! It’s been such an incredible experience. I’ve met so many amazing people. Plus I’m constantly learning, which you’d think would be boring but it’s quite the opposite. There’s never a dull moment. I feel like I’m the main character in a YA novel.” 

Erica smiled slightly. “I probably will eventually. I’ve been so busy lately with the whole vampire council thing. And it would take me a while to save up the money. But hey, I have all the time in the world. Literally.” 

“That’s what I thought too but you should just go for it, Erica. You seriously won’t regret it. I've never been this happy in my life.” She turned to face Benny. “You guys are always traveling. Come on tell her how amazing it is.” 

“It isn’t really traveling,” Benny said. The sound of his voice sent chills down Ethans spine. He’d been mentally preparing to see Benny again for days but he was still so overwhelmed. “We barely leave Canada and when we do it’s only to go to the U.S. Plus it’s just kinda been how I’ve lived for so long it’s lost its touch. We’ve been to some pretty cool places though, I say go for it.” 

Rory nodded. “Yeah go for it, Erica. The vamp council will be here when you get back.” 

Erica made a face he couldn’t quite place and took a big sip of her drink. She looked Ethan directly in the eyes as she sat down her glass. “Ethan you’ve been pretty quiet.” 

His eyes widened. He had been pretty quiet, and he intended on keeping it that way. “Oh yeah!” Rory said. “Aren’t you married or something?” 

Ethan's heart sank. 

“Married?” Benny blurted. 

Sarah squealed. “Oh, that’s right! Didn’t you get engaged a while ago?” 

Ethans stomach was in knots. “Yeah, I was for a while. It didn’t exactly work out though.” Ethan hadn’t mentally prepared for this. He was just supposed to come down there and talk about some supernatural being, not tell them about his failed engagement. 

Sarah’s eyes widened. “Oh wow, I’m so sorry Ethan. I had no idea.” 

Ethan let out a breath of relief. As long as she didn’t ask him what happened he would be fine. “It’s fine. It was a really clean break. She’s one of my best friends now actually.” He really was fine. As much as he wished they had never even been together in the first place things had really been going uphill since it ended. He liked to think that it was necessary. Like the universe saw how clueless he was and handed him the answers on a silver platter. 

Sarah smiled. “That’s good. Sorry it didn’t work out though. I imagine it would be pretty tough no matter how smooth everything was.” 

If only she knew how smooth it really was. “I’m fine really. It was a long time ago, I just wanna move past the whole thing.” 

“That’s the spirit, Ethan.” Rory chimed in. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I mean look at Benny, he’s never even been in a real relationship.”

Benny rolled his eyes. “That is so not true. I had a girlfriend back in college.” 

Rory laughed. “Yeah for like a month.” 

“It was three months that counts,” Benny said. He said it in a playful manner but Ethan sensed there was something buried under it. He just didn’t know what. 

Ericas raised her eyebrows from across the table. “Have you seriously never been in a relationship, Benny? 

Benny sighed. “Look it isn’t my fault. I’ve haven’t lived somewhere long enough to make a connection in years. I’ve been too busy being a badass and killing demons.” 

“Yeah sure that’s the reason,” Rory mumbled into his glass. 

“It isn’t like you’ve been a real casanova either.” Benny joked. “At least I talk to people sometimes.” 

“I’m immortal Benny! I have until the end of time to find someone. Your eggs are gonna start dying soon.” 

“God!” Benny groaned “Not the fucking egg thing again.” 

Sarah was the first one to start laughing. “What the hell do you mean again?” She said, causing herself to laugh even harder.

Erica started giggling with her. She tried to hide it behind her hand but soon she was just as consumed as Sarah. Benny let out a breathy laugh. “Why the hell are you laughing? You don’t even know the context.” 

Sarah was borderline screaming at that point which caused her hysteria to rub off on Ethan. “Context?” She asked between squeals. “What the fuck would the context for that even be?” 

Soon they were all almost doubled over. Ethan didn’t even know exactly what they were laughing at, it just felt good to be with his friends again. He hadn’t laughed that hard or at something so stupid in years. Just being near them was enough to make him regress back to his teenage self. 

Erica pipped in when the laughing started to subside “Guys please we have to shut up.” She said, whipping away a tear. “It hasn’t even been an hour and we’re already causing a ruckus.” 

That caused Benny to laugh even harder. Ethan missed hearing him laugh so much. “A ruckus?” Benny said through his laughter. “What the fuck is a ruckus?” 

At that point, they were all giggling like middle schoolers at their first sleepover. Ethan hadn’t felt that way in years. Sure he had plenty of friends but most of them were, for lack of a better word, boring. He enjoyed their company and everything but there were never any moments like this. Maybe one of them would say something that would make him chuckle, but he was never thrown into a laughing fit over something so small. He figured that was just part of being an adult. Now he wasn’t so sure. 

“Guys Ericas right,” Rory said. “I hate to ruin everyone’s fun but there’s something major going on here.” 

The laughter abruptly stopped. Right, that was why they were there. They were just supposed to be taking down some extremely powerful creature. They weren’t there to have fun and catch up. They were just supposed to kill the thing and then go back to being strangers. 

“You’re right, sorry Rory,” Sarah said with an awkward smile. 

“No this is good. I was worried we’d all be at each other’s throats by now which would’ve made everything way more difficult than it has to be.” Rory said. “Ethan, have you been able to have a vision since Erica talked to you?” 

Ethan shook his head. “I tried everything I could think of but nothing worked.” He’d tried to see something, he really had, but he didn’t even know why his visions happened. He never knew what triggered them; he always just hoped they’d come when he needed them to. “Maybe something will work now that you guys are here.” 

Rory nodded. “It’s okay Ethan, take all the time that you need.” 

Ethan smiled and opened his mouth to reply but Benny cut him off. “It used to happen when you touched people right?” 

Ethan's heart fell to his feet. That was the first time Benny had spoken directly to him in years. He didn’t know it made him feel so strange but for some reason, it made every molecule in his body buzz simultaneously. “Yeah it did, why?” He tried to sound confident but his voice wavered. 

“Well, maybe you could,” Benny gestured towards the other side of the table. “You know.” 

“That’s a great idea,” Sarah said, her hand reaching across the table for Ethan to grab. 

Ethan reached over and laced their fingers together. He attempted to will a vision to come but he didn’t even know how he’d do that. They always just came. After a few seconds of nothing happening, he released her hand. He offered her a tight smile before pulling his hand back but Erica and Rory’s hands shot out after them. He took turns holding them both but nothing happened. He couldn’t see a thing. 

“It was worth a shot.” He said with a small smile. 

“What about Benny?” Sarah asked. 

His stomach flipped. He was barely able to talk to him, he definitely wasn’t ready to touch Benny again. “I don’t thi-” 

Bennys hand was in front of him before he could finish. “Worth a shot right?” He asked. 

Ethan swallowed before nodding hesitantly. His hand shook slightly as he laced their fingers together. He met Bennys eyes for the third time that evening. He’d always loved Bennys eyes. He used to stare at them every chance he got before everything went down. He remembered one night in particular after Jesse had bitten him at the dance. Benny stayed over in an attempt to calm Ethan down. He’d switched to sleeping on the floor a little bit before that but that night he just didn’t. They didn’t talk about it. Benny just climbed into his bed with him. They spent however long it took him to fall asleep just facing each other. Not even saying anything just taking each other in. 

The sound of his heart pumping filled his ears. He could feel all of his blood flowing through his veins. Every synapse in his body began firing at once. He tried to keep his breathing calm and even but it was difficult to do when Benny was right there in front of him, staring into his soul. 

Benny was the first one to pull away. Ethans hand lingered for a millisecond before he pulled it back to his side. “At least we tried,” Benny said. 

“You’ll get it eventually Ethan,” Erica said with a reassuring smile. She turned her body to face Rory. “So what exactly do we know about this thing?” 

“Basically nothing. I’m pretty sure it got here a little over a week ago and somehow it keeps getting stronger.” 

Ericas raised her eyebrows cautiously. “When exactly do you think it got here?” 

“Probably last Thursday or Friday, why?” Rory asked.

Erica hesitated for a moment, she pursed her lips in thought. “I started feeling… off around then.” 

Rory furrowed their brow. “What do you mean off?” 

“Just sort of like,” Erica took a moment to search for the proper words. “Like off. I just woke up one day and I could tell something was wrong.” 

Ethans eyes widened. He didn’t want to say anything in fear of sounding stupid but he knew exactly what Erica was talking about. “I feel it too. I thought it was just anxiety but it feels… different. I just knew something was wrong.” 

“I’ve never heard of anything like that before,” Rory mumbled. 

They all spent a moment thinking it over in silence. They’d fought plenty of supernatural beings before but they’d never been this clueless. They always had a vague idea of what they were up against even if they weren’t entirely sure what it was. Ethan racked his brain trying to think about what it could possibly be. He thought back to something Erica had said the other day. It was just a passing comment but Ethan had a gut feeling that it was something important. “Hey, Erica do you think maybe this thing has something to do with all those people going missing?” 

Erica nodded hesitantly. “I mean, there isn’t really any other explanation.” 

“Hold on a second,” Benny said. “So you just failed to mention that people have been disappearing?” 

Erica shrugged. “It didn’t seem relevant.” 

“How would that not be-” Benny started. He sounded pretty upset but he took a moment to collect himself. “Who exactly has been going missing?” 

“I’m not even 100% sure they’re disappearances,” Erica explained. “There have just been a lot of regulars that have stopped showing up. People that have been coming pretty much every night the entire time I’ve worked there just stopped all of a sudden. I thought maybe they were finally getting their acts together or their wallets had finally taken a toll but four of five of them just stopped coming out of nowhere.” 

Benny rolled his eyes and sunk into his chair. “So we don’t even know if they’re disappearances or not.” 

“Don’t be an asshole, Benny,” Rory said. “I think this is a pretty good start. Has anyone else gone missing?” 

Erica waited a few seconds before nodding again. “There was this teenager that lives in my apartment complex that didn’t come home a few days ago. We’re all pretty upset about it. We thought she was just blowing off steam but she still hasn’t come home.” She looked around before leaning forward and lowering her voice. “And I’m not supposed to talk about this but it has to be relevant. The other night I was filling in for a guard at a council meeting and one of the members just never showed. They were trying to play it off but I could tell they were pretty on edge. I thought maybe he just got stuck in traffic or something but now I’m not so sure.” 

Sarah’s eyes widened. “No way whoever it was went after a member of the council.” 

“Maybe it didn’t know,” Benny said. “How do we know whatever it is isn’t just some brainless monster on a killing spree?” 

“We would’ve noticed that by now right?” Ethan replied. “Whatever this thing is, it's strategic. It knows what it’s doing.”

“It doesn’t sound all that strategic to me.” He said it in a very passive tone but Ethan could tell there was a sense of irritation behind it. “I mean there’s no pattern. It took out some kid and some drunks. It could be anything.” 

Ethan didn’t know how to respond. They were getting very close to conflict territory and there was no way he was going to be able to handle that. Thankfully Erica must’ve sensed his discomfort because she replied for him. “No, I think Ethans right, Benny. I wouldn’t have even connected them if I didn’t know something was going on. Maybe this thing is just going for whoever it can get away with.” 

Benny turned his gaze away from them, something he’d done frequently as a kid. Ethan had to bite back a smile at all the fond memories he had of Benny getting flustered and turning away. “You’re probably right I just… we always have at least some idea of what we’re looking for. I haven’t been this clueless since high school.” 

Sarah nodded. “I get it. I have no idea where we could even start.” 

They all mumbled in agreement. Ethan’s stomach began churning again. There was something out there that was powerful enough to finally reunite them all, and they didn’t have the slightest idea how to stop it. By the time they finally figured it out it could be strong enough to wipe out the whole town. 

“Maybe we could use a little more help,” Sarah suggested. 

Rory perked up in interest. “What do you mean more help?” 

“Benny your grandma’s a high priestess right? Maybe she knows something that could help us.” 

Everyone froze. Benny flinched, his eyes squeezing shut momentarily. “Yeah she probably would but she…” Benny trailed off, trying to find the words. “She’s kind of not alive Sarah.” 

Sarah's eyes widened. Ethan couldn’t blame her. The only reason he and Erica knew was because they stayed in contact with her up until it happened, and he imagined Rory had to deal with a significant amount of fallout. “Oh shit, I’m sorry I didn’t-”

“It’s okay,” Benny said. “You kind of have a point though. I have a lot of her old books. Maybe there’s something in one of them.” 

Rory nodded. “That’s at least a start. Erica, do you think you could find out more about the missing people?” 

“I can try,” She said. “I don’t know if some of them even had anyone though, they’d always come in alone I don’t know how I’d find them.” 

“That’s fine, as long as you try. I say we split up tonight and then meet back up tomorrow. I’ll try to help Benny find something. We’ve gotta take this thing out before it’s too strong.” 

“What should Ethan and I do?” Sarah asked. 

Rory took a moment to think it over. Ethan felt his throat tighten up. He really did like seeing them all again but he didn’t think he’d be able to handle most of them without the rest of the group there. “You guys go with Erica. It’s probably better if you travel in numbers in case that thing goes after you. 

Ethan nodded in agreement. He really didn’t want it to be just the three of them again, but at least he had Erica to keep most of Sarah’s attention off of him. 

“That’s probably for the best, especially if this thing’s connected to the club somehow,” Erica said. Ethan never thought she would be the type to be afraid, but he could tell she was. He couldn’t blame her. He was absolutely terrified, and not just of the creature. 

Sarah smiled. “I knew you guys would come up with a plan,” She said. 

“It’s hardly a plan,” Benny said, half to himself. “But it’s a start.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy here it is. Sorry for the long wait, I'm gonna be completely honest I've been playing minecraft for like 8 hours a day and I've been in a little bit of a rut but it's here now and I'm getting back into the swing of things. I appreciate your patience

Benny slammed the book he was reading shut. He clenched onto it tightly, fighting the urge to throw it. They’d been researching for hours, and they had nothing. He wasn’t even sure what they were supposed to be looking for. They were just reading every book they had hoping one of them would have an answer. But none of them did. It was hopeless. He slid back into the couch. 

“Easy there tiger,” Rory said flatly from the other side of the room. Their eyes were still on the book she was reading. 

Benny rolled his eyes. He knew he was acting pretty childish but everything was so overwhelming. They used to have to do this all the time. Mindless research for hours just to get a vague idea of what they were looking for. Now though, after fighting every creature known to man for almost six years, it usually took them less than a day or two to figure out what their target was. “I don’t see how you can be so calm about this.” Benny whined. “It’s gonna be so hard just finding out what this thing is. How long is it gonna take us to kill it?” 

“Probably a while.” She said without looking up. 

Benny sunk further into the couch. “That’s so long.” He complained. “I don’t want to be here anymore, Ror. This is pointless why don’t we just let this thing roam free until it actually does something. We don’t even know if there’s actually anything here. And even if there was, why do we even care? It isn’t like we live here.” 

Rory rolled their eyes before letting out a sound that was similar to a growl. “Do you have to be such an asshole?” He snapped. “What the hell is your problem? I get it was hard for you to come up here because you were afraid of fucking...” They paused momentarily, their eyes going wild as she searched for the correct words. “Something. I don’t even know, but we’re here now, and you’re fine. So stop being an asshole. You could barely control yourself at the restaurant. It was like you were disappointed no one was pissed at you, so you tried to get them to be.” 

Benny sat there for a moment. He was being kind of an asshole. But it wasn’t like he was trying to be. He couldn’t help it. He was just so scared. Rather than admit that he opened the drawer on the left side of the coffee table. He pulled out a joint and a lighter. He lit it and stuck it in his mouth for dramatic effect. “Fuck you.” 

Rory sighed and tossed the book they were holding onto the coffee table. Things had been oddly tense between them lately. They obviously had their ups and downs, they spent pretty much every second together, but this was different. The fights were becoming more frequent and petty. Benny didn’t know if they were just getting tired of each other or if it was something he’d done. Either way, he didn’t think he would’ve been happy about it. “Look I’m sorry. I get that you’re stressed out I just don’t get why you’re being such a dick.” 

“I don’t really get why either,” He said, taking another hit. It was half true. He had a vague idea of what was making him so upset but he wasn’t sure that was the only thing causing it. Even if he wanted to tell that part of the story, he felt like he’d be intruding on something. It wasn’t just Bennys story to tell. “I think maybe just being back here is bringing a lot of shit back. Like sure now I’m pretty alright. I kill demons for a living and I’m not completely awkward anymore. But here I was… I was pathetic. And I was really enjoying not being a loser for the first time in my life.” He didn’t even know where that came from, but it was true. He was remembering a lot of things he tried to bury back in high school. Even the good memories were starting to make him feel numb. 

“You were never a loser, Benny.” 

Benny laughed. “Yeah, maybe not to you, but no one even knew who I was and the people that did just thought I was weird and annoying. And I get that it’s pretty lame to still be upset about that but I dunno. I just didn’t ever want to feel that way again.” He took another hit. Now that he thought about it, he was still a loser, it just wasn’t as obvious now. He didn’t have a real job, he had one friend that he spent all of his time with, and he smoked a shit ton of weed. An absurd amount, and maybe that didn’t make him a loser, but it wasn't exactly a plus. 

Now he was just a different kind of loser. He was the loser that geeky high school kids wanted to be until they actually got their wish. He got chicks and did drugs and kicked ass but none of it meant anything. It was all so pointless.

“Plus I miss my grandma, you know?” He added in after a few seconds of Rory not responding. “I never really got to say goodbye.” 

He sat there for a few more seconds before nodding. “I get that. I’m sorry dude I thought you were just being an asshole to be an asshole.” 

“No, I wasn’t I just…” He trailed off. It wasn’t even worth mentioning. Everything that happened happened and that was that. No point dwelling on it. He took another puff before changing the subject. “Do you actually think it’s weird that I’ve never been in a relationship? I mean I know you don’t mean it but it’s not completely untrue.” 

“No it’s not weird,” Rory replied immediately. “It would be pretty much impossible for either of us to be with someone. They’d probably have to move in with us after around a week and no offense dude but I don’t trust you enough for that.” 

Benny released a breathy laugh. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” He handed the joint to Rory. She took it happily, inhaling a large hit before handing it back. Benny set it in his mouth and held it there. Rory was right. He just didn’t have the opportunity to meet anyone. There was no way to connect with anyone while constantly traveling from town to town. He wasn’t alone. He’d always had Rory. But he wasn’t sure if that was enough anymore. It wasn’t like Rory wasn’t enough, Rory was perfect. They’d been a wonderful companion for the last six years. He just wanted something more. “So you really haven’t found anything?” He asked. “Nothing at all.”

Rory shook their head. “Not a thing. I don’t even know what to look for.” 

Benny sighed and picked up the book closest to him. “I’m not trying to be an asshole,” He said. “But this fucking sucks. 

“It does,” they reached forward and took the joint from between Bennys fingers. “I knew I should’ve had Ethan come with us.” 

Benny's heart dropped. He looked back up at Rory, fear filling his face. “What do you mean? That would’ve been a terrible idea.” 

Rory shrugged. “He’s the best at research. We probably would’ve found something by now if we had him with us.” 

Benny took the almost dead joint back from Rory. He got in one last hit before putting it out and setting it in one of there many ashtrays scattered across the coffee table. “Yeah probably. But I would’ve been miserable.” 

“What the hell happened to you guys? You were so close for all those years and then you just weren’t anymore. I know you don’t like talking about it but you should at some point. It doesn’t have to be with me but you can’t just keep dwelling on it.” 

Benny turned his attention back to the book he was holding. Rory had a point. He’d spent years trying just to push it down and pretend nothing happened but it wasn’t working. He still thought about it almost every day. There was no way he was talking about it though. At least not yet. “Even if I did want to talk about it, it isn’t even my story to tell. He might not be mad anymore but I still hurt him.” 

He heard Rory pick his book back up from the other end of the living room. “Whatever dude. I really don’t think it was as bad as you think it was. You’re a pretty good guy, as long as you didn’t kill anyone I won’t look at you any differently.” 

Benny smiled. Rory was a really good best friend. “Thanks, Ror.” He mumbled. He knew Rory wouldn’t have cared that much even if he did tell him. Sure they’d probably be shocked for a while but it wasn’t like it would destroy their relationship or anything. He just wanted to put the whole thing behind him.

They continued researching in silence for a few minutes. Okay maybe Benny wasn’t exactly researching but he was reading and that was all that mattered. The book he picked up was an old one his grandma had given as a high school graduation gift. He’d always planned on reading it, he just never got around to it. He wasn’t sure if it was even real or not. It was supposed to be an early history of Whitechapel but a lot of it seemed like it was pulled out of a fantasy novel. 

It was Whitechapel though so it wasn’t the most unbelievable thing in the world. Plus this book seemed really old. The pages were yellowing and a lot of the ink was fading. It was bound together with leather and it appeared to have been handwritten. He turned to a page that had the same symbol drawn over and over again. It looked like a four-pointed star with a circle surrounding it and another in the center. The ink was pretty faded but the center circle was drawn in green ink each time it appeared. It was the only image in the entire book to contain color. 

“I think this is important.” He said sliding the book over to Rory. 

She picked it up, her eyes narrowing to get a better look. “It could be. What makes you think so?” 

He hesitated for a moment. “I don’t know, I just… it’s just a feeling I guess. I think I might’ve seen it before or something.” He really should’ve thought about it more before bringing it up but he just knew it was important. Something about the symbol made alarms go off in his brain. It had to be relevant, it just had to be. 

Rory nodded hesitantly. She pulled their phone out of his pocket and took a picture of the page. “I believe you and everything but this isn’t really enough. We don’t even know what it means.” 

“Yeah okay,” Benny said as he took the book back. He understood. Even if they knew for sure the symbol was related it still wouldn’t be enough to do anything. They were still absolutely clueless. He turned the page again. This one had no pictures at all. It was either an elaborate story whoever wrote this made up or it was a detailed description of a real battle between a village and something called ‘the colony.’ It didn’t say what it was about but it ended with a very detailed description of the colony slaughtering everyone in the village. Well everyone except the author, he supposed. 

He closed the book and replaced it with one on the anatomy of supernatural creatures. The symbol probably didn’t even mean anything anyways. Maybe it was his grandma's old journal or something. Writing was in the Weir genes after all. He’d probably just seen her draw the symbol before.

~

Ethan was a wreck. His hands shook as he pulled into the parking lot of the club. He’d gone home for a few hours while Sarah and Erica went back to her apartment together. The club didn’t open until midnight, which he didn’t understand in the slightest. Sure it was a club for supernatural creatures but that didn’t mean they had to be all cryptic and mysterious. Just because someone’s a vampire doesn't mean they wouldn’t want a drink before 10 PM. He ripped his keys out of the ignition. Sarah and Erica were probably inside already. He waited until a few minutes after the agreed-upon time. Just to make sure he didn’t get there first. 

Ethan was expecting the club to immediately throw him into sensory overload. He absolutely hated going to clubs and bars. He went to them occasionally when he was trying to put himself back out there but he soon realized that it just wasn’t for him. They were always so loud and they were too dark and too bright at the same time. Plus they always had a peculiar smell and everything was sticky for some reason. 

He was pleasantly surprised when they pushed through the front door. Most of the lights were on and the music was playing pretty softly. There was no smell either. He looked around the club. It was decently large compared to most places he’d been. Most of them only had a bar and a few tables scattered around but this place almost seemed like a ballroom. He spotted Sarah and Eric sitting at a table near the door and made his way over to them. “This is a really nice place, Erica,” He said as he slid into the booth. 

She laughed. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I can’t take credit for it though. It was like this when I got here.” 

Ethan nodded awkwardly. He talked to Erica often, they had a meetup once a month to catch up, but something was so different now. Maybe it was the pressure to get along for the sake of the mission, or maybe it was the rest of the gang being back, he didn’t know. Either way, it was different. Things were just off. 

Erica slapped her hand on the table, startling Ethan from his thoughts. “Okay so Ethan, you weren’t here but I was just telling Sarah about all the people we could talk to.” 

Ethan waited a few seconds for her to keep going but she just stared at him. “Okay?”

“I need you to sit at the bar while we talk to them.” 

“What?” 

“Just,” She groaned. “I don’t think anyone is gonna be willing to talk to you and Sarah had this brilliant idea that you could try to get a vision from someone here and that seems like the best place to do it. Since it’s high traffic and stuff.” 

Ethan blinked. “Why wouldn’t they want to talk to me?” 

“Vamps can be pretty territorial Ethan,” Sarah said. “It’s not like you did anything they just might not be willing to disclose anything important to a human.” 

“So I’m just supposed to sit at the bar and touch people?” Ethan asked, his face turning sour. 

“Exactly,” Erica said with a smile on her face. “Your visions always used to come when we were in danger. Maybe this thing’s big enough to bring them back.” 

“Yeah, sure whatever,” Ethan mumbled. He didn’t wait for any further instructions before getting up and heading over to the bar. He could see where they were coming from but he couldn’t help but feel like he was being tossed to the side. It was like they didn’t think he was a valuable asset. He was so much more than his visions. 

He spent over an hour sitting there. He talked to a handful of people but none of it was anything of substance. It never was. Half the people he talked to were plastered and the other half were just hitting on him. Normally he wouldn’t have minded, it wasn’t like he was above them or anything, but he really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone at that moment. Plus it was really awkward trying to casually touch everyone he encountered. The fact that everyone probably thought he was a creep didn’t really help calm him down. 

He was about to give up after he’d scared off around the tenth drunk girl. He couldn’t blame her. He was trying so desperately to see something he wasn’t even being discreet about touching them anymore. He turned around to look at Sarah and Erica. They looked like they were pretty deep in conversation with some guy. He contemplated just getting up and leaving. It’s not like he was doing much just sitting there anyway. His powers probably didn’t even work anymore. Erica said her abilities were like a muscle, maybe that was the case for him too. Maybe he’d spent so long without exercising his powers that they just didn’t work anymore. 

A girl clambered into the seat next to him. “This seat taken?” She asked with her straw in her mouth. 

Ethan stared at her. He could already tell this was going to be an obnoxious encounter. “It is now.” 

She smiled and nodded, her eyes squinting at him slightly. Something about her just didn’t feel right but Ethan assumed it was just anxiety. “I guess it is,” She said slowly. 

Ethan nodded hesitantly. All he had to do was touch her and then he could go home. He had everything under control. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He’d been making small talk all night, why was it so hard all of a sudden?

“Don’t be shy, introduce yourself,” She said attentively. Ethan couldn’t help but focus on her mouth as she talked. Something about it seemed so… calculated. It was like she put thought into each syllable formed. “Hello?” She said with an eyebrow quirked. Ethan blinked. He had no idea how long he’d sat there staring at her, but he knew it was far too long. For some reason he just couldn’t get his brain to connect to the rest of his body. 

“Ethan,” He said, his tongue heavy in his mouth. 

She nodded. “Fitting,” She extended her hand out for Ethan to shake. “Astarea.” 

Ethan took her hand. He attempted to manifest a vision but nothing happened. The world kept going around him. “I’ve never heard that before.” He didn’t mean to say that. The words just sort of fell out of his mouth. 

“Yeah, it’s an old one,” She took a long sip of her drink, staring into his eyes the whole time. “I’ve never seen you in here, Ethan.” 

Ethans eyes widened. Was this what Sarah meant about vampires being territorial? “It isn’t really my scene.” He said faintly.

“I can tell,” She put a hand on his knee. Ethan froze beneath her. His entire body felt heavy. “What are you doing here Ethan?” 

He swallowed. What was he doing there again? It was something important, it had to be. He looked into her eyes and his stomach started clenching in on itself. HIs vision started getting blurry but he could’ve sworn he saw them sparkle. He had to get out of there. “I was just leaving.” He slurred. His mouth was starting to tingle and it soon spread to the rest of his face. 

“No you weren’t. You were here for a reason. What is it?” 

Ethan gawked at her. “I have to go,” He mumbled. He tried to stand up but it was like there was a weight holding him in place. 

“I don’t think you do,” she said in a low voice. Everything was moving around them but he couldn’t make anything out. The only thing he could focus on was the sound of her voice, and her eyes. “Just tell me why you’re here Ethan.” 

“We’re looking for something,” It was like the words were being pulled out of his mouth. He had no idea where they came from, a second ago he couldn’t even remember why they were there. He hadn’t even thought about answering her. He just wanted to go home and get some sleep. 

“Who’s we?” 

He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t have to tell her anything. He was just gonna get up and out of there. It would be like nothing ever happened. He opened his eyes again. “Me, Sarah and Erica.” 

Her face twisted into a wicked grin. Something about it made Ethan nauseated. It just seemed so… off. “What are you looking for?” 

He shook his head. He could fight it. He knew he could. “We don’t know.” His eyes widened. What the hell was happening to him? He hadn’t drank anything besides water, so it wasn’t like he was just drunkenly confessing things. And even if he had this was different. It was like his body was being controlled by something else and he was just along for the ride. 

She squinted at him. “What do you mean you don’t know?” 

Ethan didn’t even try resisting anymore. He just let the words fall out of his mouth as the fuzzy feeling took over him. “There’s something here. Something big. We just don’t know what it is.” 

She huffed out a laugh. “Of course you don’t.” Ethan wasn’t sure what she meant by that but at that point he didn't care. He was so tired, he just wanted to go home. Maybe if he stopped fighting it the sensation would go away faster. “I think you should come with me Ethan.” 

“You do?” 

She nodded cautiously. “I do. Matter of fact I think you want to come with me.”

Ethan shook his head. No that wasn’t a good idea. He wasn’t in the right headspace to go anywhere, he couldn’t even stand up. All he could do was sit there and let the responses be pulled out of his mouth. 

She stood up and somehow Ethan managed to stand up with her. He didn’t know how it happened. His body just moved. “You want to come with me Ethan.” She said firmly. Her eyes seemed to sparkle again. 

This time he nodded against his will. He tried willing himself to just walk away but he couldn’t move. It was like she was some kind of puppeteer moving his body against his will. 

“Ethan!” Erica's voice cut through his trance. The warm fuzzy feeling that had overtaken Ethan left all at once. It was like the world had came back to life around him. He looked down at his hands. He could feel and move everything again. He snapped his head over to where Erica was standing. “We’re leaving.” 

He started rushing out the door without a second thought. He didn’t bother turning around until he was already out the door. Sarah and Erica followed soon after. “What the hell just happened?”\

Sarah gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?” 

His eyes bulged. “What do you mean, what do I mean? I just- she…” He trailed off. He wasn’t even sure what happened, how were they supposed to know? “I don’t even know how to describe it. It was like I was paralyzed but… I wasn’t .” 

Sarah squinted at him. “I don’t know, maybe she glamoured you?” 

Erica shook her head. “No it wasn’t that, you wouldn’t remember anything.” 

“Then what the hell was it?” Ethan asked in a panic. 

“Ethan relax. It was probably just a spell. It’s all over now anyway,” Erica said in a reassuring tone. 

Ethan took a deep breath. She was right. It was just a spell and it was done now. It didn’t matter what it was. It was over and he was safe. “You’re right sorry I’m just… that was really fucking scary.” 

“Hey no don't apologize,” Sarah said, a sympathetic look on her face. “That sounds terrifying but you’re safe now. We aren’t gonna let anything happen to you.” 

Erica nodded. “Yeah don’t worry. We were there the whole time we’d never let some beginner witch get to you.” 

Ethan smiled. “Thanks guys. Did you find anything?” 

“Kind of,” Erica said. “We confirmed that at least two of them are actually missing. Someone went to check up on them last night and they weren’t home. He said the cars were still in the driveways and everything, almost like they just… disintegrated out of thin air.” 

Ethans eyes widened. He was hoping they’d find a lead but hearing that this thing was already attacking people wasn’t very comforting. He was kinda hoping it would all be a coincidence and they’d be able to walk outta there with little to no casualties. “Was that all?” 

Sarah and Erica stared at each other for a moment before they turned back to Ethan. “We talked to a member of the vampire concile and not only was the original member missing, but they went after another one.” 

Ethan's heart fell to the floor. “You’ve gotta be kidding.” 

Erica shook her head, her lips pursed. “I wish I was. Whatever thing is, it’s capable of taking out some of the most powerful vamps in town.” 

Ethan ran a hand through his hair. They didn’t stand a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. I really appreciate everyone taking time out of their day to read this and being so supportive


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *tucks hair behind ear* listen I know I said this last time but I actually have a consistent upload schedule planned so look out for that. This ones more of a transition chapter and it's a little bit slow but things are really gonna start picking up after this I swear

Everyone met back at Benny and Rory's R.V. late in the afternoon. Sarah thought it was a waste of time, they should’ve just met back up as soon as they had the information they needed, but she wasn’t the one calling the shots. Rory was taking the lead on this one and they were all just along for the ride. She let Erica handle most of the explaining. There wasn’t much to tell, all they’d done was confirm a few disappearances. They hadn’t linked anything to whatever had came into town. And even if they had, they were still absolutely clueless as to what it was. She had been hopeful in the beginning, but she was slowly starting to wonder if it had even been worth coming back into town. She was still determined to take the thing out and prevent anyone else from disappearing but she couldn’t help but feel discouraged. It had only been two days though, which gave her a little sprinkle of hope. They were bound to catch wind of something soon. 

Erica finally wrapped up her dramatic retelling of the night before. Sarah really admired her ability to amp up every little detail of the mostly boring night. Maybe she was wasting a little bit of time telling the story in excruciating detail but Sarah didn’t care. She found it really charming. It was such an Erica thing to do. “Okay that’s basically it. After that we got Ethan and blew the joint.” 

Benny exhaled heavily. He rested both of his elbows on the island and buried his head in his hands. “This is so fucked,” he whispered. 

“No no this is good.” Rory replied. “This is kind of a lead. I mean.. it isn’t ideal but it’s something.” 

Benny removed his head from his hands and laid them out flat on the counter. “This isn’t a lead, Rory. This is..” he clenched his fists, as if he was trying to physically grasp for the right words. “We still don’t even know if they’re connected. There could be some serial killer on the loose. Maybe some vampire hunter came into town. Hell, this could all just be a coincidence. Maybe these people all just collectively decided to skip town.” 

“I mean, it’s a possibility, but probably not.” Sarah said. “What are the chances that some mysterious force appears here and people just happen to start going missing around the same time? Especially such high profile people.” 

“Yeah, I mean there isn’t really any way for us to confirm whether they’re connected or not, but they just have to be. It’s all too perfect.” Rory added. 

“It probably is connected, it's just we don’t know for sure. It isn’t enough to be considered a lead and even if we knew for sure 100% that they were connected, what are we gonna do with this? How does this get us any closer to finding it?” Benny asked. 

Everyone went silent. He had a point. It was what they were all thinking. What did this mean? Was it even helpful? Was it even worth it? Sarah subtly took in each one of their expressions. They were all thinking the same thing, he was just the only one saying it. Ethan looked like he was about to pipe up and say something but he didn’t. 

She made eye contact with Erica. She seemed like she was trying to tell her something without saying anything, which they’d often do before everything fell apart, but she couldn’t tell what. She guessed she’d completely lost that ability over the years. Her stomach clenched in on itself. She never would’ve expected to ever grow apart from Erica. They’d been attached at the hip since they were born. But they did grow apart. It didn’t happen all at once like it had with Benny and Ethan, they at least had some sort of closure even if it was as messy as it had been. They’d just sort of drifted. Sarah went off to college on the other side of the country. Erica stayed in White Chapel. They were really good at keeping touch at first. They called almost every day for over a year but then they just started to fade away from each other. Soon they were calling once a week, then once a month, and then not at all. She offered her a smile in an attempt to make it seem like she understood but she just couldn’t. No matter how hard she tried she just wasn’t able to read her the same way she once did. 

“You’re sure you didn’t find anything, Ethan?” Rory asked. There was a glimmer of desperation behind their eyes. “I know you didn’t have a vision but maybe you overheard something?” 

Sarah looked over at Ethan. They hadn’t mentioned what happened with that girl earlier but she thought she was important. Erica had convinced her not to bring it up on the ride back to her hotel room, as to not freak Ethan out any further and she agreed. Ethan had been really worked up about it and everything they said had been true, they weren’t going to let her get to him. But maybe, just maybe, it was worth mentioning. 

Ethan shook his head. “No, I didn’t find anything. I sorta just sat there and made small talk for a couple hours and then we left.”

Sarah gave Erica a look. It was probably nothing but she couldn’t shake the feeling that what had happened was important. Erica didn’t seem to get what she was going for. All she got in return was a confused look. She couldn’t blame her, but it still hurt. 

“Hey Ethan, do you think maybe what happened with that girl could’ve been important?” 

Ethan gave her a questioning look. He was sitting on the other side of the room. He’d been pretty reserved since he’d gotten there. The whole time she’d been back, he’d been distant. He did a whole lot of listening and not a lot of talking. He always had, but it was different now. “What do you mean?” He asked. 

“The one you were talking to at the very end of the night. The scary one.”

“Oh,” His eyes widened. “Her.” 

Rory leaned in slightly. “Did you see something Ethan?” 

He shook his head. “No, no it wasn’t that. She was like, this temptress or something. She had this aura about her and then she put a spell on me. It was like I had no control or anything my entire…” he paused to grasp his thoughts. He’d tried explaining it to them in the parking lot the night before but he quickly gave up after it started getting to be too much. “I don’t even know how to describe it. It was like she’d taken over my brain. I was saying things I wasn’t even thinking and I couldn’t move at all and then all of the sudden I was standing up to leave with her.” 

Everyone stared at him. They had no idea how to react. Sarah had expected Benny or Rory to immediately come up with something as soon as they’d heard about what happened but they just sat there, silently thinking over what Ethan had said. 

Benny hesitated for a moment before responding. “Are you sure you didn’t just think she was hot?” 

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Rory groaned. “I swear to God Benny are you kidding me right now?”

His eyes widened. He looked like he might’ve been about to defend himself when Erica stepped in. “No hang on Rory I think he has a point, she was pretty hot. Ethan, are you sure that wasn’t it?” 

Ethan gave her a bewildered look. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I didn’t just think she was hot, Erica.” 

“No I think we should explore this a little more, she was absolutely breathtaking. I mean I noticed her the second she walked in the room. I’m usually not into gingers, but I had to do a double take. Are you sure there’s no way that could’ve been it?” 

Ethan clenched his jaw. “I’m absolutely positive that wasn’t it.” 

“But are you really sure?” Benny asked. “I mean Erica's drooling just talking about her. I don’t think any of us would blame you if it was.” 

Erica nodded. “Yeah, it’s totally cool Ethan. Sometimes, I feel like women put me under spells too. And she really was something else, I mean, my brain probably would’ve short circuited if she tried talking to me. I-”

“I’m fucking gay, Erica,” Ethan blurted.

She froze. Her eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of her head. “Oh.” 

Ethan nodded. “Yeah. And even if I wasn’t, it was different than just ‘oh wow she’s hot’ or whatever. She completely took over my brain. I couldn’t even think for myself, it was like she drugged me or something but like… with her mind.” 

“Right, yeah ,I get it,” Erica said. Her eyes were filled with worry, something Sarah rarely saw but could recognize from 1000 miles away regardless. “Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood. You seemed pretty stressed and I-” 

“No, it’s fine, I get it. Just pretend I didn’t say anything. I doubt it’s even important whether it was a spell or not.” 

“I don’t know,” Rory started. “It’s the closest thing we have to a lead. What exactly happened?” 

“I’m not even sure. She just started talking to me and I started feeling all foggy, and then she asked me why I was there and I just… told her. She made me forget why I was there and then she just pulled it out of me. Then I tried to leave but I couldn’t move. It was like she was holding me there with her mind. And then she wanted me to go with her somewhere and I just… shot up. The weird thing was I didn’t want to go with her, I really didn’t. But she kept saying I did and I started to believe it.” 

“Where was she trying to get you to go?” Rory asked. 

Ethan shrugged. “I have no idea. She was just telling me to come with her, and I almost did. It’s a good thing Sarah and Erica finished when they did.” 

Rory nodded. “Well, whatever it was it’s definitely interesting. I don’t know if we can say she’s for sure linked to what’s going on but I’d say it’s worth looking into.” 

Sarah nodded. She figured it was worth bringing up but she was afraid it’d all be for nothing. She just wanted to contribute so bad. “Yeah, I mean I’ve never heard of anything like it before.” 

“What do we do about it though?” Benny asked. “I mean, it sounds promising but we have no idea who she is.” 

“I actually think I might have seen her around before,” Erica mumbled casually. 

Benny whipped his eyes in her direction. “And you didn’t think that was necessary information?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I think she came in the other day or something. I’m still not so sure she’s important, I mean to me it just seemed like she was hungry.” 

“I don’t know, this whole thing gives me kind of a bad vibe,” Sarah said. “Like, I’d get it if she was just a vamp looking for a snack but what vampire is capable of doing that? I’d get it if she had glamored him but, like you said, that obviously wasn’t it.” 

Erica seemed to think it over for a moment. Her eyes scattered around as she racked her brain. “I guess you’re right. I mean whatever she is it obviously isn’t a vampire.” She looked over to where Benny and Rory were sitting. “What about you guys? You seriously didn’t find anything?” 

They glanced at each other brierley. “Nothing useful.” Benny said after a beat. 

Erica nodded. “Okay. So we still basically have nothing,” She whispered.

“Not nothing,” Sarah piped up. “I really think she was important. She just seemed off.”

“Maybe,” Benny replied. “But even if she is, what are we going to do about it? Just hope she shows back up at the club? And if she does then what? We just hope she slips up and tells us something?” 

Silence fell over them again. Sarah nervously tapped against the counter. She really was trying to stay positive but it just kept getting harder and harder. Everytime she thought they were close to something it would all come crashing back down. 

Erica looked down at the floor. “I think I have an idea,” she started. “But I don’t think you guys are gonna be too fond of it.” 

Sarah leaned in in anticipation. She expected Erica to continue but she didn’t. “What is it, Er?” 

She released a deep breath. “Look, you’re all really smart and capable but I don’t think we’ll be able to do this on our own. I’ve been studying magic for 10 years and I don’t have the slightest clue what to do. I think we might need some back up.” 

“What do you mean back up?” Benny asked.

She took a breath before replying. Her eyes darted downwards as she replied. “I think we should call Jesse.”

Sarah's eyes widened. 

“You what?” Rory asked. 

She sighed. “Look I know this isn’t ideal. He has always been kind of a dick but he could be really helpful. Plus, I haven’t talked to him in a few years but he seems like he’s gotten better.” 

Sarah shot her a confused look. “You’ve talked to him?” 

She nodded. “Yeah a while ago.” 

“How is that even possible? I thought the council reinforced his banishment after the lucifractor incident.” 

“That’s kind of the thing. A few years ago, I got this really cryptic letter that basically just said to go to some diner in the next county at a specific time, I don’t remember when but it was at night, it didn’t even say who it was from. I probably shouldn’t have gone but I was curious so I went anyway and he was there. He didn’t tell me much but he really needed me to lift the ban. Like… he was borderline groveling. I really didn’t want to because it could’ve destroyed my chances of being in the council but he was so desperate and he promised me a huge favor so… I did it. It wasn’t even that hard; it took me like 10 minutes.” 

“So you just let him back into town because he was desperate?” Benny asked. 

“It wasn’t just that,” She replied. “He seemed so broken. I knew he could’ve just been plotting something but I didn’t think that was it. I didn't ask what he needed it for but it’s been years and nothing big has happened so I assume it wasn’t anything diabolical. Plus, now a powerful vampire owes me a massive favor and it looks like it turned out to be pretty handy.” 

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Erica,” Ethan said. “I mean he did seem like he was getting better after the lucifractor thing but what he did wasn’t really something you can just come back from.” 

“I know it wasn’t but he really did seem better,” She said. Sarah had gotten a lot worse at reading her over the years of silence but she could tell she was really passionate about this. She didn’t know why she cared so much but she obviously did. Plus she kind of had a point. None of them had as much power or knowledge as Jesse had acquired over the several centuries he’d been alive. “It’s been a decade. I get what he did was messed up but we might seriously need him. What other choice do we have?” 

“I don’t know Er,” Rory replied. "I mean yeah you kind of have a point. He could be useful but how can we be sure? I'm also not fully convinced we need him. I still think we can figure this out on our own." 

"Rory's right," Benny said, probably for the first time in his life. "I mean, I still think this is gonna be hard but do we really need Jesse? We'll get it eventually." 

"Do we have that much time?" Sarah asked. She wasn't exactly ecstatic about the whole idea but if it was important to Erica, it was important to her. "If this thing does just keep getting stronger, doesn't every second count?" 

Erica smiled at her gratefully. "That's exactly what I mean. We can probably figure it out in time, but that's exactly what we don't have. We need to just figure out what this thing is and take it out before it's too late." 

Benny took a deep breath. "You have a point, but it just doesn't sit right with me. Even if he does help us, who's to say he doesn't just turn against us or something?" 

"Would he do that?" Ethan asked hesitantly. "I know he's an asshole but what does he gain from that? This thing is as much of a danger to him as it is to us." 

Erica nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, that's what I'm saying. If it’s as big as Ror’s making it out to be, he should want to help us stop it. Plus, he made it abundantly clear that he owes me big. I made sure of it." 

Silence fell over them. Sarah knew she'd support whatever Erica wanted, but she could see how it was a big decision. The others seemed to be taking a lot of consideration into it, and for good reason. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. But it was the best they had. 

"How would we even contact him?" Rory asked. 

Erica made another face she couldn't quite place. "I'm not entirely sure. He never told me where he was staying and he never gave me his number or anything but I think there might be a way. I'm not sure if it'll work but it's something." 

"I still don't think it's a good idea," Benny said. "I mean, maybe it isn't awful but I don't think we should rely on this. It might not even happen. We might not even have a way to contact him and even if we do he can still say no. He's lied to us before he can do it again." 

Erica nodded. "You have a point. It might not even work. But I still think we should try." 

"Erica's right," Rory said. "It might not even work, but it's worth a try. I hate to say it but, we're desperate right now." 

Sarah nodded. She knew exactly what they meant. She'd noticed that her and Rory seemed to be in the same boat. He was the only other person that seemed to be looking at the positive for the most part. And if she were saying something like that, they must really be desperate. "You're right. I doubt it'll work but it's something and we really need a win right now." 

Erica nodded. She looked over to where Ethan was sitting. "Ethan you've been really quiet. What do you think?" 

His eyes widened for a split second. "I don't know. I guess it isn't the worst idea." 

They all turned to look at Benny. He shrugged. "Fuck it. You guys are right. This isn't ideal but it's the best we've got. We can't exactly be picky with our plans right now." 

Sarah smiled. She was so grateful everyone was on board. And not just for Erica's sake. She looked up at Erica. "So how exactly are we gonna do this?" She asked. 

Erica scrunched up her face. "See, that's the thing. I'm not entirely sure if we have a way to contact him but… there's something we could try."

"What is it?" Sarah asked. 

Erica sighed. "So you know how he sorta gave Ethan that message way back in the day. Before the lucifractor thing?" 

They all nodded. 

"So I'm not sure if it'll work but he gave me this pendant. He told me I'd know what to do with it and I sorta just thought it was bullshit but maybe Ethan can do something with it." 

They all turned to face Ethan. He looked like a deer in the headlights. "My powers don't even work anymore." 

"I know but I mean you haven't really tried something like this," Erica started. "Maybe this is different from a vision." 

"I don't know Erica. This is a lot more advanced than anything I've done in years. I just don't think I'm capable." 

"Well you could at least try," she begged. "Look, I know it's a lot to ask but this is the best we've got. We have to try." 

Ethan took a moment to respond. Sarah could tell he didn't like the idea just by looking at him. "I'm not promising it'll work. I highly doubt that it will. But I'll give it a try." 

Erica smiled. "Thanks, Ethan. Even if it doesn't work out, I really appreciate it. We all do." 

"Yeah, it's whatever. Just don't get your hope's up. I really doubt it's gonna work." Ethan said. "When exactly are we gonna do this?" He asked.

Erica smiled. She seemed genuinely excited. "Why not right now?" She asked. 

"That would probably be the best option," Benny said. "Like you said we don't have any time. No reason to wait." 

She nodded. "Then I guess we're taking a road trip back to my place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it folks. I really hope you enjoyed I'm so hyped for what's to come. You can also follow me on twitter @gayassbenny


End file.
